60.71(7)(7)Filing and recording the order. The town board shall file copies of the order establishing the town sanitary district with the department of natural resources and record the order with the register of deeds in each county in which the district is located.

60.7260.72
Creation of town sanitary district by order of the department of natural resources.

60.72(1)(1)Definition. In this section, "department" means the department of natural resources.

60.72(2)(2)Hearing. The department shall conduct a public hearing to determine whether to order the establishment of a town sanitary district under this section.

60.72(3)(3)Notice. The department shall give notice of a hearing under this section by mail to the town clerk of each town in the area to be affected at least 30 days prior to the hearing. The town board shall publish a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, of the hearing. The notice by the town board shall contain an announcement of the hearing and a description of the area identified by the department for inclusion in the town sanitary district.

60.72(4)(4)Finding. Following the public hearing, the department shall determine if private on-site wastewater treatment systems or private domestic water systems, or both, in the affected towns constitute a threat to public health, safety, convenience or welfare or of pollution of waters of the state, and that there is no local action to correct the situation. The department shall issue its determination as written findings.

60.72(5)(5)Order. If the department's findings under sub. (4) are in the affirmative, the department shall issue an order specifying the work which is necessary and designating the property which is to be included in the proposed town sanitary district.

60.72(6)(6)Town board action. Notwithstanding s. 60.71, upon receipt of an order from the department under sub. (5), the town board may order the establishment of a town sanitary district or create a utility district under s. 66.0827.

60.72(7)(7)Town board failure to act. If the town board fails to establish a town sanitary district within 45 days after receipt of the department's order, the department shall issue an order establishing boundaries of the town sanitary district, declaring the district organized and giving the district a corporate name. The department's order establishes the district without any further action by the town board. The department shall record the order with the register of deeds in each county in which the district is situated and file a copy of the order with the town clerk of each town in which the district is situated.

60.72(8)(a)(a) After a town sanitary district has been established under sub. (6) or (7), the town board shall appoint or provide for the election of commissioners or constitute itself as the commission under s. 60.74 within 60 days after the expiration of the review period under s. 60.73, if no appeal is filed, or within 60 days after the department's order is affirmed in a proceeding under s. 60.73. If the town board does not appoint or provide for the election of commissioners or constitute itself as the commission, the department shall appoint, for 2-year terms, 3 commissioners who meet the residence and property-ownership requirements of s. 60.75 (3).

60.72(8)(b)(b) If the department appoints commissioners under par. (a), the town board, after the initial 2-year terms, shall appoint or provide for the election of commissioners under s. 60.74 or constitute itself as the commission. If the town board does not appoint or provide for the election of commissioners or constitute itself as the commission within 60 days after the initial 2-year terms expire, the department shall appoint, for staggered terms as provided in s. 60.74, 3 commissioners who meet the residence and property-ownership requirements of s. 60.75 (3).

60.72(8)(c)(c) If the town board fails to fill any vacancy on the commission within 60 days, the department shall appoint a person who meets the residence and property-ownership requirements of s. 60.75 (3) to fill the vacancy.

60.72(8)(d)(d) The department shall file notice of all appointments of commissioners with the town clerk in each town in which the district is located.

60.72(9)(9)Statutes applicable. Except as otherwise provided in this section, and unless clearly inapplicable, all other statutes relating to town sanitary districts shall apply to any town sanitary district created under sub. (6) or (7).

60.726(1)(1) Property that is excluded from a town sanitary district under s. 60.725 (1), 1995 stats., or, subject to sub. (2), property that is excluded from a town sanitary district under s. 60.725 (2), 1995 stats., shall be included in the town sanitary district, retroactive to April 19, 1990, and shall be subject to all property taxes, special assessments, special charges or other charges imposed or assessed by the town sanitary district on or after April 19, 1990.

60.726(2)(2) If a property owner installed on his or her property a private on-site wastewater treatment system that conforms with the state plumbing code, before a town sanitary district that encompasses that property came into existence, that property shall be included in the town sanitary district. If the private on-site wastewater treatment system was installed on or after 10 years before May 14, 1992, and if the property owner provides the town sanitary district with any information about the cost of the private on-site wastewater treatment system required by the district, the town sanitary district, when the district issues any assessment or charges or imposes property taxes to construct a sewage service system, shall pay or credit the property owner an amount equal to 10% of the cost of the private on-site wastewater treatment system, less any grants or aids received by the property owner for construction of the private on-site wastewater treatment system, multiplied by the number of years of remaining life of the private on-site wastewater treatment system. The number of years of remaining life of the private on-site wastewater treatment system is equal to 10 minus the number of years that the private on-site wastewater treatment system has been in operation.

60.726 Annotation
Homeowners did not have a constitutionally protected vested property right in being excluded from a sanitary district; retroactive application of sub. (1) requiring connection was constitutional. Vanderbloemen v. Town of West Bend, 188 Wis. 2d 458, 525 N.W.2d 133 (Ct. App. 1994).

60.7360.73
Review of orders creating town sanitary districts. Any person aggrieved by any act of the town board or the department of natural resources in establishing a town sanitary district may bring an action in the circuit court of the county in which his or her lands are located, to set aside the final determination of the town board or the department of natural resources, within 90 days after the final determination, as provided under s. 893.73 (2). If no action is taken within the 90-day period, the determination by the town board or the department of natural resources is final.

60.74(1)(1)Single town districts. If a town sanitary district is located entirely within one town, the town board shall determine how commissioners will be selected. The town board may appoint the commissioners, provide for their election or constitute itself as the commission. If the town board constitutes itself as the commission, it shall do so by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the town board supervisors. The town board shall determine the method of selection for the initial commissioners within 60 days after the town sanitary district is established.

60.74(2)(a)(a) If a town sanitary district is located in 2 or more towns, the town board of the town containing the largest portion of the equalized full value of taxable property of the district shall determine, within 60 days after the district is established, how commissioners will be selected. The town board may appoint commissioners or provide for their election.

60.74(2)(b)(b) If, as a result of a change in each town's share of the equalized full value of taxable property in the district, a town's share exceeds the share of the town first authorized to determine selection under par. (a), the town board of the town with the greater share, within 60 days, may provide for the election or appointment of commissioners to replace the commissioners selected under par. (a). Any commissioner selected under par. (a) shall serve until new commissioners are appointed or elected under this paragraph.

60.74(3)(a)(a) If the town board provides for the election of commissioners, the town board shall either schedule the election of the first commissioners at the next regular spring election or call a special election. If the town board schedules the election of the first commissioners at the next regular spring election, the town board shall appoint commissioners, within the time limits specified in sub. (1) or (2), to serve until the 3rd Monday of April in the year when the next regular spring election is held.

60.74(3)(b)(b) After the first commissioners are elected, all subsequent commissioners shall be elected at a regular spring election.

60.74(4)(a)(a) If the commissioners of a district have been appointed, a petition requesting that commissioners be elected may be submitted, subject to sub. (5m) (b), to the town board responsible for the selection of commissioners under sub. (1) or (2). The petition shall state whether the petitioners wish to have the first commissioners elected at a special election or at the spring election. The petition shall conform to the requirements of s. 8.40 and shall be signed by qualified electors of the district equal to at least 20% of the vote cast for governor in the district at the last gubernatorial election.

60.74(4)(b)(b) Upon receipt of the petition, the town board shall provide for the election of commissioners. If the petition requests the election of the first commissioners at the spring election and the petition is filed on or after the date of the spring election and on or before November 15 in any year, they shall be elected at the succeeding spring election; otherwise they shall be elected at the 2nd succeeding spring election. If the petition requests the election of the first commissioners at a special election, the town board shall order the special election in accordance with s. 8.50 (2) (a). After the first commissioners are elected, all subsequent commissioners shall be elected at the spring election.

60.74(4)(c)(c) If the commissioners are elected at a special election, the current appointed commissioners continue to serve until their successors are elected and qualify. If the commissioners are elected at a regular spring election, the current appointed commissioners continue to serve until the 3rd Monday of April following the election of the commissioners.

60.74(5)(a)(a) If the commissioners have been elected as the result of a petition under sub. (4), the town board may not change the method of selection from election to appointment except as provided under par. (b).

60.74(5)(b)(b) A petition conforming to the requirements of s. 8.40 signed by qualified electors of the district equal to at least 20% of the vote cast for governor in the district at the last gubernatorial election, requesting a change to appointment of commissioners, may be submitted to the town board, subject to sub. (5m) (a). The petition shall be filed as provided in s. 8.37. Upon receipt of the petition, the town board shall submit the question to a referendum at the next regular spring election or general election, or shall call a special election for that purpose. The inspectors shall count the votes and submit a statement of the results to the commission. The commission shall canvass the results of the election and certify the results to the town board which has authority to appoint commissioners.

60.74(5)(c)(c) If the change in the method of selection of commissioners is approved at the referendum, the town board shall appoint commissioners within 60 days after the referendum is conducted.

60.74(5m)(5m)Frequency of changes between election and appointment restricted.

60.74(5m)(a)(a) If the commissioners have been elected as a result of a petition and election under sub. (4), no petition may be submitted under sub. (5) (b) to change the method of selection from election to appointment within 5 years after the date on which the election of the commissioners was held.

60.74(5m)(b)(b) If the commissioners have been appointed as the result of a petition and referendum under sub. (5), no petition may be submitted under sub. (4) (a) to change the method of selection from appointment to election within 5 years after the date on which the results of a referendum held under sub. (5) have been certified under sub. (5) (b).

60.74(6)(6)Elector determination. Whenever in this section the number of names of electors required on a petition cannot be determined on the basis of reported election statistics, the number shall be determined as follows:

60.74(6)(a)(a) The area of the district in square miles shall be divided by the area, in square miles, of the municipality in which it lies.

60.74(6)(b)(b) The vote for governor at the last general election in the municipality within which the district lies shall be multiplied by the quotient determined under par. (a).

60.74(6)(c)(c) If a district is in more than one municipality, the method of determination under pars. (a) and (b) shall be used for each part of the district which constitutes only a fractional part of any area for which election statistics are available.

60.75(2)(b)(b) Except as provided under par. (c), of the commissioners first appointed or elected in a newly established town sanitary district, one shall be appointed or elected for a term of 2 years, one for a term of 4 years and one for a term of 6 years. If the commissioners first elected in a newly established town sanitary district are elected at a special election, the town board shall specify shorter staggered terms for the commissioners so that their successors may be elected at a regular spring election.

60.75(2)(c)(c) If the town board constitutes itself as the commission, the terms of the commissioners are concurrent with the terms of the town board supervisors.

60.75(2)(d)(d) An elected commissioner shall hold office until the 3rd Monday of April in the year that his or her successor is elected. An appointed commissioner shall hold office until a successor takes office.

60.75(3)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b) or (c), all commissioners shall be residents of the town sanitary district.

60.75(3)(b)(b) If commissioners are elected or appointed and if the sanitary district is composed primarily of summer resort property, at least one of the commissioners shall be a resident of the district. Any commissioner who is not a resident shall own property within the town sanitary district.

60.75(3)(c)(c) If the town board constitutes itself as the commission, par. (a) does not apply.

60.75(4)(4)Vacancies. Any vacancy on an elective or appointive commission may be filled by appointment by the town board for the remainder of the unexpired term, except as provided in s. 9.10. Any vacancy on a commission consisting of town board supervisors remains vacant until a successor town board supervisor is appointed or elected.

60.75(5)(5)Oath of office. Before assuming office, each commissioner shall take and sign the oath of office required under s. 19.01 and file the oath with the town clerk.

60.76(1)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b), the commission shall organize by electing one of its members president and appointing a secretary and treasurer.

60.76(1)(b)(b) When the town board constitutes the commission, the town chairperson shall be the commission president, the town clerk shall be the commission secretary and the town treasurer shall be the commission treasurer.

60.76(2)(2)Secretary; duties. The secretary shall keep a separate record of all proceedings and minutes of meetings and hearings. At the end of each fiscal year, the secretary shall submit to the town board of each town in which the district is located a report showing a complete audit of the financial transactions of the commission during the fiscal year. The report shall be incorporated in the annual financial statement of the town containing the largest portion of the equalized full value of all taxable property in the district.

60.76(3)(3)Treasurer. The commission may require the treasurer to execute an indemnity bond, provided by the district, in an amount which the commission finds appropriate for the proper performance of the treasurer's duties.

60.76(4)(4)Fiscal year. The town sanitary district fiscal year is the calendar year.

60.77(1)(1)Authority of the commission. The commission has charge of all affairs of the town sanitary district.

60.77(2)(2)Corporate status. The district is a body corporate with the powers of a municipal corporation for the purposes of carrying out this subchapter. The district may sue and be sued and may enter into contracts. The commission may provide for a corporate seal of the town sanitary district.

60.77(3)(3)Compensation; expenses. The town board of the town having the largest portion of the equalized full value of all taxable property in the district may fix the compensation of the commissioners, the secretary and the treasurer. The commissioners and the secretary and treasurer of the commission may receive actual and necessary expenses incurred while in the performance of the duties of the office in addition to any other compensation.

60.77(4)(4)General powers and duties. The commission may project, plan, construct and maintain a water, solid waste collection and sewerage system, including drainage improvements, sanitary sewers, surface sewers or storm water sewers, or all of the improvements or activities or any combination of them necessary for the promotion of the public health, comfort, convenience or welfare of the district. The commission may provide chemical or mechanical treatment of waters for the suppression of swimmers' itch, algae and other nuisance-producing aquatic growths.

60.77(5)(bm)(bm) Require the inspection of private on-site wastewater treatment systems that have been already installed to determine compliance with the state plumbing code and may report violations of the state plumbing code to the governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private on-site wastewater treatment systems for enforcement under s. 145.20.

60.77(5)(bs)(bs) Provide direct financial assistance for costs related to the replacement of private on-site wastewater treatment systems that are failing.

60.77(5)(c)(c) Issue rules or orders, which shall be published either in their entirety, as a class 1 notice under ch. 985, or as a notice, as described under sub. (5s) (b).

60.77(5)(e)(e) Fix and collect charges for solid waste collection and disposal, sewage service and water service. The commission may fix and collect sewage service charges under s. 66.0821 and water service charges under s. 66.0809.

60.77(5)(f)(f) Except as provided in s. 66.0721, levy special assessments to finance the activities of the district, using the procedures under s. 66.0703.

60.77(5)(g)(g) Provide for the operation as a single enterprise of its water, solid waste or sewerage system, or any part or combination of parts of the system.

60.77(5)(h)(h) Lease or acquire, including by condemnation, any real property situated in this state and any personal property that may be needed for the purposes of this subchapter.

60.77(5)(i)(i) Sell, convey or dispose of any part of its interest in real or personal property which it has acquired that is not needed to carry out the powers and duties of the commission.

2013-14 Wisconsin Statutes updated through 2015 Wis. Act 54 and all Supreme Court Orders entered before July 7, 2015. Published and certified under s. 35.18. Changes effective after July 7, 2015 are designated by NOTES. (Published 7-7-15)